Automobile torpedo.



F. M. LEAVITT.

AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21, 1912.

Patented Ailg. 25, 1914.

INVENTOIR Z;

WITNESSES:

nniann STATES PATENT OFF-Ion.

FRANK M. LEAVITT, 0F SMITHTOYVN, NEW YORK, ASS'IGNOR TO E. W. BLISS COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

- AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 21, 1912.

To all whomit may concern Be it known that I, F RANK M. LEAVITT, a

citizen of the United States, residing in Smit-htown, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to automobile torpedoes, and aims to improve the after-body and tail section.

The improvements relate to the construction of the propeller shaft whereby the exhaust air is caused to escape through the inner shaft, and to the lubrication of these shafts. F

In the lVhitehead torpedo it has been customary to exhaust the air from the engine cylinders intothe crank casing and thence through the tubular inner propeller shaft, from which the air escapes at the stern. In the Bliss-Leavitt torpedo, as constructed prior to the present invention, the exhaust air from the turbine motor has passed into the after-body which thus forms an exhaust air chamber, the air forcing itself out therefrom past a spring-pressed valve into an enlarged tail section of the inner propeller shaft, the air escaping from this shaft at the stern as before. This construction is shown in my Patent No. 748,759. dated January 5, 5904. The function of the spring-pressed valve is to close at the end of a practice run and prevent the inflow of water and the consequent sinking of the torpedo.

The present invention introduces one or more. spring-closed exhaust valves in openings in a bulkhead between the exhaustairreceiving chamber in the afteubody and an adjoining chamber in the tail section: from the latter chamber the air passes through perforations in the inner and outer shafts where they traverse this chamber. and enters the inner shaft, through which it passes to the stern where it escapes. The presence'of the spring-pressed valves causes a. slight hack-pressure in the exhaust receiving chamber; this pressure is utilized to expel lubricating oil from a reservoir thereof through suitable ducts or passages to the bearings of the propeller shafts, whereby a forced lubrication is atforded for these bearings.

The preferred embodiment of the inveni101} is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a longitudinal vertical midsection of the middle portion of the torpedo, the tail section being shown in elevation. F g. 2 is alongitudinal mid-section of the tail section and an adjacent portion of the after-body, being drawn to a larger-scale.

In the drawings A is the torpedmhull or shell, B is the compressed air reservoir, Ci's the turbine-or other motor, D and E are the inner and outer propeller shafts through the afterbody. and D and E are-the con tinuations of these respective shafts through the tail section, the portions D and E being ei'ilarg'ed and both being made tubular. The turbine C drives the shafts D, E, through any suitable gearing, the precise nature of which is immaterialto this invention. The compressed air is conducted from the reservoir B to the motor (J in any usual manner, as, for example, through a conduit a. between which conduits is introduced a reducing valve 7). Any usual star-ting valve mav be provided. The torpedo hull is commonly divided transversely into sections united by screws or otherwise; of these the section A is the after-body and A is' the tail section, the latter commonly including the portion of the hull which carries the propellers. the rudders and the rudder fins. The hull is divided at suitable intervals by transverse bulkheads which may be coincident with the divisionsbetween the seclions or otherwise; of these bulkheads the drawing shows only the bulkhead (Z through which the air enters by suitable nozzles to the turbine; and the bulkhead c, at the junction between the after-body and tail section; and the bulkhead f which closes off the tail section. The space between the bulkheads (i and c constitutes the exhaust receivingchamber F. The space between the bulkheads e and f constitutes an exhaust chamber or passage G These chambers communicate through one or more openings in the bulkhead c, these openings being providcd with rcarwardly opening springprcs'scd check valves {7. These valves g (of which only one is shown) may he variously constructed, beingshown as having astemwith a helical spring coiled upon lb. The

to afford proper passage for the discharge The shaft section E is' of the exhaust air. tubular, and forward of the bulkhead f it is slightly larger so as to leave a free air space between the two shaft sections. Suitably large perforations it h are formed through the respective shaft sections whereby to admit of a free flow of the exhaust air from the chamber or passage'G into the bore of the shaft section D. Thus, while the shafts are revolving in opposite directions the exhaust air has unobstructed flow from the chamber G through the perforations it into the space between the shaft sections and thence through the perforations it into the bore of the inner shaft section and thus out to the stern.

The construction thus described has the advantage of enabling the shafts'D and E -to be made of small diameter through the after-body. Where the exhaust is passed through the shafts these are required to be made of large diameter, which makes it difficult to properly pack against leakage in the bearing through which they pass in.

emerging from the after-body. This bearing requires a packing or stuffing-hon to prevent leaka e of water into the torpedo hull. The use 0 large tubular hafts also increases the friction in this bearing. This bearing, is lettered H in FigaQ and comprises bearing surfaces proper and a water packing or 'stufiing boxvl. The present invention thus keeps the shafts of the minimum diameter where they pass through this bearing, and confines their enlargement for the discharge of air to the portion aft of thi bearing. The advantage of thisconstruction increases with the increase in the power of the, motor and the consequent increase in the exhaust therefrom.

The shaft sect-ions D E are carried in a bearing I in the tail section. The proper lubricationof the outer shaft in the bearings H and I and the inner shaft where it turns within the outer shaft at the same points presents a difficult problem. For the lubrication of the bearing H, I provide an oilcup K from which a pipe 7' leads'into the bearing and communicates through ducts to the bearin surfaces, and thence through holes in tie outer shaft to the bearing surfaces supporting the inner shaft. For supplying 011 to th hearing I an oil-cup L, Fig.

1, is provided from which leads a pipe Z which extends to a check valve m and thence a pipe I leads to the hearing I, discharging into an oil groove or channel a which encircles the bearing and from which the oil passes through ducts'to the bearing surfaces, and thence through holes is in the outer shaft to the inner bearing surfaces. The oil might flow from the oil cups K and L by gravity, but this would not ive a sufficiently copious flow to properly lubricate the bearings during the brief period of intense action involved in the run of the torpedo. cause a forced flow of oil I establish communication between the upper parts of the oil-cups K and L and the interior of the exhaust chamber F, thereby utilizing the pressure in this chamber as a means for forcing out the oil. The oil-cups K and L areboth located in the chamber F so that it is only necessary to make a small hole 1) in each above the oil level, whereby to admit air under the pressure prevailing in the chamber F to cause an outflow1 of oil. The check valve m prevents any back-flow of oil followed by an inflow of water to the chamber F after the min. For convenience in as sembling the parts the pipe Z is provided with a slip joint 9 which makes connection between the pipe Z and the check valve when the tail section is united to the after-body.

The invention is not necessarily limited to the precise construction thus described in detail, but may be variously modified and varied in proportion, arrangement and structural features or by the omission of certain parts according to any particular requirements. I

I claim as my invention V 1. In an automobile torpedo comprising a compressed air motor, oppositely revolvlng propelled shafts one within the other, a chamber receiving the exhaust from said motor, an oil-cu having a discharge duct leading to a bearing, said cup open to the air-pressure in said chamber above the oil level for subjecting the oil to pressure to expel it.

2. In an automobile torpedo comprising a compressed air motor, oppositely revolving propeller shafts one within theother, a chamber receiving the exhaust from said motor, a spring-pressed valve opening from said chamber whereb a back pressure is induced therein by t'e resistance ofv said valve, and an oil-cup having a discharge duct leading to a bearing, said cup open, to the air pressure in said chamber above the oil level for subjecting the oil to pressure to expel it. v y Y 3. In an automobile torpedo comprising a compressed air motor, oppositely revolving propeller shafts one within the other, a chamber receiving the exhaust from said motor, an oil-cup having a discharge duct leading to a bearing, said cup open to the signed my name in the presence of two subair pressure in said chamber above the oilscribing Witnesses. level for subjecting the oil to pressure to expel it, and a check valve, in said oil duct FRANK LEAVITT' 5 adapted to prevent any back flow of water Witnesses:

through said duct into said air chamber. PETER KRUSE,

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto FRED. H. MCGAHIE. 

